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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. With which married man was Daisy's "most prolonged and serious" (174) affair?

2. What action is Pinkie taking when Muttsy slips a diamond ring on her finger?

3. In what receptacle does Sykes hide a snake in hopes of killing Delia in the story entitled "Sweat"?

4. How many numbered entries are contained within the story entitled "The Eatonville Anthology"?

5. What element does the narrator name as the only thing Sykes had brought to his marriage?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the plot of the very brief story entitled "Possum and Pig"?

2. In what way is foreshadowing associated with the portrait featured in the story "The Back Room"?

3. The story entitled "Book of Harlem," not to be confused with the story "The Book of Harlem," focuses on what kind of journey?

4. For what reason does Hurston use a Biblical allusion to rename New York City in the story entitled "Book of Harlem"?

5. In what way does Hurston elicit compassion for Daisy Taylor's plight in the story called "The Eatonville Anthology"?

6. Who is Daisy Taylor?

7. Which object within the story "The Back Room" serves as a symbol of fading youth and beauty?

8. What is the symbolism of the moment when Delia picks up an iron skillet in the story "Sweat"?

9. Who offers to secure a job for Pinkie, and what is the outcome of that offer?

10. What is the significance of the title Hurston gave to the story called "Sweat"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Trace the characterization arc of a particular protagonist featured in the pages of the collection Hitting a Straight Lick With a Crooked Stick. Discuss whether your chosen protagonist is a round or flat character, whether the character is a static or dynamic character, and other aspects of characterization Hurston uses to bring your chosen character to life.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the ways in which the themes of adaptability and resignation appear within Hurston’s collection Hitting a Straight Lick With a Crooked Stick. What message is Hurston sending about these two themes over the course of the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

How is the theme of invisibility portrayed in Hitting a Straight Lick With a Crooked Stick? Examine Hurston's treatment of and messages regarding invisibility throughout the work.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,047 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample